Assistance while Preparing for COMPASS

Professional Assistance Available for COMPASS Prep

With many colleges and other educational institutions in the country
using the COMPASS scores to place students into courses appropriate to
their academic skills and ability levels; the COMPASS is a test of much
importance to those seeking higher education in the United States. The
preparation is, therefore, a step you cannot miss out for enrolment in
college academic programs. Here is an article that describes the vital
points to be remembered while considering theprep options; also listed here are some of the professional help sources available today for this purpose.

The Significance of the ACT COMPASS Test

Whatever may be your area of interest and course of study,
completing college-level courses may require a certain level of
academic knowledge, skills, and expertise; and COMPASS is a test that
helps colleges evaluate this college-readiness of prospective
candidates.

It is a battery of different subject and skill tests so that the
ability levels and knowledge of candidates can be tested in different
areas, as required. As the test is evaluative in nature, it does
not carry any negative scoring for incorrect answers; nor are there any
pass or fail marks set for this test. The COMPASS test is also
diagnostic in nature and helps colleges assess the need for any
developmental/remedial programs for those areas, in which each
individual student may be lacking.

While preparing forthis test, you may also note that the COMPASS test package is customizable
as per the individual course requirements of the conducting
college/institution. A student enrolled to a Math program may have to
take the Math section, along with the Reading and Writing skill tests. However, one who wants to take up a language course in
college, may not be required to take up the Math component of the test;
similarly, foreign students are generally administered an ESL component
to evaluate their language abilities, as may be required for academic
as well as day-to-day functioning.

Yet another significant feature of this exam that adds on to its diagnostic and evaluative purposes is that the test is not timed.
Hence, all test takers are encouraged to complete the test at their own
pace, and under no kind of pressure or time limits. Accommodated
testing is also provided to those eligible, as per the policies at the
conducting institute.

During preparation, the first
and foremost important point is to learn everything about the test and
also understand why it is conducted. You may find more information on
the various related aspects of the test at the official test website http://www.act.org/products/higher-education-act-compass/.

COMPASS Test Content, Question Types, and Test Duration

Learning about what is on the test is the next important part while preparing for COMPASS test. The following are the different tests included in the test battery (can be customized as per needs):

The Reading test (placement and diagnostic)

The Writing test (placement and diagnostic)

The Writing Essay test

The Mathematics test (placement and diagnostic)

The English as a Second Language (ESL) test

You may note that some of these tests have two different components,
the placement test and the diagnostic test. While the placement tests
help colleges decide the best possible course for each individual
student based on their COMPASS scores, the diagnostic tests are
designed to help assess the need for any remedial programs as per any
academic shortcomings of each test taker.

Professional Assistance for COMPASS Test Preparation

Besides learning about the test and its contents, you may also need to take at least one pre-test and as many as possible, practice tests for COMPASS prep.
With plenty of different types of resources available for test
preparation today, you may also need to choose the best one for
yourself. While some may prefer to do self-study with the help of
books, guides, and online materials, some others might need
professional assistance or prep programs.

The professional programs generally include topics and practice
sessions for all the important aspects of the test, and also may
provide you with the advantage of a class-room environment, with
guidance from experts and a group of peers to learn and share with.
Most colleges or other educational institutions conducting the COMPASS
test also provide professional assistance to test takers for preparation. This assistance is an addition to the prep materials provided in many of their websites: